Tale of Two Pinks - EN
by PinkNacho
Summary: Pink Nacho is a boy who just transfered to CHS, where he meets the love of his life and fights to stand against his social ineptitude


Prologue

"Thank you, Principal Celestia"

I said leaving her office. I thought that the worst part of moving to a new school, talking about the paperwork, had already passed, but I knew I expected something much worse: Meeting new people.

Or so I thought, considering my ineptitude and social anxiety, but as soon as I left that office I was surprised by the greeting of a girl.

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie!" Said the girl, shaking her hand in greeting.

At first I doubted that she was talking to me, but when I did not see anyone else around, I finally did what a normal person would do, I replied.

"Hi, I'm Pink Nacho" Clearly between incredible amounts of stuttering, but she did not seem bothered by my inability to speak simple sentences without stumbling on my own tongue.

"Pink Nacho? Like that Mexican food but in pink? I love pink! "She said, starting a monologue that I thought would never end. But with every word that came out of her mouth, i became less focused on what she said and felt more in love with her.

It was as if in a past life I had saved an orphanage of puppies from a fire caused by ninjas, and the appearance of this woman was the karma paying me for my good deeds. Everything about her was lovely; her smile, her cotton candy hair, her ability to talk and talk non-stop.

Watching her talk and talk, I could only hear that old song "Fooled around and fell in love" in my head, as I fought desperately not to look as a neanderthal in front of her.

Finally, after who knows how much, i stopped hallucinating with little hearts and romantic songs and, without even realizing if I interrupted her, I asked her if they received all the new students in CHS like that, to which she replied:

"The truth is, it's just that I know everyone here and I saw you there alone and I thought, Hey, that guy over there is new and he needs my help to not feel so alone" Boom, everything she did and said just made me love her more and more. "So I guess you're just lucky I found you here"

If I did not blush when she said that, it's because I've been blushing from the moment she shook my hand to say hello.

"Yes, I guess I'm very lucky" and I guess I said that without stuttering; the nerves were killing me.

Probably ignoring my sweat and blush, she said:

"I have a super incredible idea, I'm going to introduce you to my friends, I'm sure they'll like you very much, even if you're so quiet" She laughed a lot while saying that last part.

Suddenly and in an act that almost infuriated me of emotion, she took my arm and dragged me down the hall to a room where i would meet the best friends of all my life.

Chapter 1, The Girls

Finally we came to the door of a room that looked much bigger than a normal classroom. It is very likely that Pinkie Pie tried to explain to me the reason for its size, but since she took my arm and until we got there I lost the notion of literally everything that was not her face. I could not stop looking at her as, well, as someone who is very much in love.

Without saying a word, for a change, she opened the door and inside what looked like a music room were five other girls, one of whom immediately spoke to her.

"Why did you take so long, Pinkie? The recess is almost over and we have not been able to rehearse a single song." Those words reminded me that I think I heard Pinkie Pie say that she played in a band in one of my scarce moments of lucidity so far this day.

In a slightly kinder tone than the first, another of the girls turned to Pinkie Pie: "And who is that boy that comes with you?"

"Oh, nothing, I just ..." I said trying not to stammer again, but Pinkie Pie interrupted me: "It's my new friend, Pink Nacho, he's new here at CHS and I thought he would feel very lonely, so I brought him here so you girls could meet him. Actually I do not know him very well either, he has not said much since I met him." And she still called me a friend, as if i had done more than babble and stare at her since she greeted me out of the principal's office.

"Are you sure it's not because you haven't let him talk?" Said the same girl who was the first to speak when we arrived, and although I did not say it out loud, I found she had the reason to a certain extent. Pinkie Pie just laughed, as if she had also found the guitar girl right.

While trying not to draw too much attention myself, the girl on the keyboard approached me saying: "Well, what matters is that any friend of Pinkie Pie is our friend, am i not right, girls?" She greeted me kissing my cheek. "I'm Rarity, pleased to meet you." Before such polite and cordial greeting, I could only respond with a tasteless hello.

"Well, I guess you can't speak less than Fluttershy" said the girl with the guitar. "I'm Rainbow Dash, if you want to enter a sports club just talk to me, I'm the captain of practically every team here. If you can talk, of course." She finished her greeting by shaking my hand and, despite his repeated mentions of my lack of speech, she did not seem an unpleasant person. I mean, she had a reason to believe that I am either dumb or retarded.

"Don't pay attention to her, I'm sure you'll feel comfortable enough to talk at any time, sugarcube." The blonde girl said, as she put her bass down to give me a hug. "I'm Applejack, and I gotta say that if there's something we like to do here at CHS it's making new friends, so i'm glad to welcome ya. Although I think Pinkie Pie here already took care of that." We both looked at Pinkie Pie while she nod, but I think the keyboard girl was looking at me. I say keyboard girl because I'm not very good with names. Or with social interactions.

From one end of the room, the red haired girl came over to greet me, also by the hand. "Hi, I'm Sunset Shimmer. I didn't have many friends when I got here, but believe me, if there's a group of girls that can make you feel at home, it's them." I'm practically made out of nervous tics, so far be it for me to judge, but I can swear that I saw her laugh nervously when she mentioned that she did not have many friends. Must have been my imagination.

I thought that finally I would decide to say something, but I stopped for a moment. I had greeted four girls, but I am sure that when there were five. It took me a while to see the last girl, because she was so crestfallen that she seemed to be hiding from me. It was then that a strange sensation invaded me, as if I was seeing myself in her. That girl was me coming to this school, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. Without realizing it and without saying anything, for a change, I approached her and raising my hand in her direction I did what that special person had done with me this morning: "Hi, I'm Pink Nacho."

The girl raised her head from behind her tambourine and shaking my hand back, answered my greeting: "Hi, I'm Fluttershy." Although she said it in a rather low tone, I could understand it perfectly. We both smiled a little and then Pinkie Pie came hopping while saying: "Look Nacho, you just made five new friends! I say five because we were already friends. Can I call you Nacho right? Or do you prefer Pink?" Turning around so I could look at those beautiful blue eyes, I answered, "You can call me whatever you want Pinkie Pie." Looking back, looking into her eyes only made me stutter one more time, but it was totally worth it. I heard a couple of them mutter something, and like every socially anxious person, I thought they were talking about me. "Although I do not remember asking them if they wanted to be my friends."

The six girls laughed a little, and then Pinkie Pie said some words that made me think a lot. "Oh come on, when was the last time you asked someone if they wanted to be your friend?" Truth be told, I did not remember it, but I guess it was a rhetorical question. "By the way Nacho, you can call me Pinkie if you want. All my friends do it" She said giving me one of the most beautiful smiles she had given me so far, and the bar was quite high.

After a while of staring at those white pearls of teeth, I heard Rarity, whose name I could finally remember, ask Pinkie for a favor.

"Pinkie Pie, darling, could you go find a chair for our new friend? He must be very tired."

"Sure," She replied. "I'll go see if there are any in the gym."

"Oh no, no, no, no Pinkie Pie, just look at him," She said pointing at me, as if i was not there. "He will need a much more comfortable chair."

In that, Rainbow Dash said: "I think those in the cafeteria are the most comfortable in the whole school."

"The cafeteria?" Pinkie Pie said somewhat confused. "That's literally on the other side of the school." She stopped a little and then cheerfully said, "Okay, a cafeteria chair to order." I followed her with my gaze as she walked out the door, and that was when I felt the weight from the looks of the other five girls on me.

"Are you sure, Rarity?" The cowgirl said a little worried. "I have an eye for this dear, I'm 100% sure." Rarity answered without stopping looking at me.

I started to sweat cold. As I saw things, it was the beginning of a porn movie or they were going to sacrifice me to the ancient god of a cult that the five of them formed, the on or the other. Either way, I expected a roller coaster of strong emotions.

"I'll ask you once, Nacho." Rarity finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "Do you like Pinkie Pie?" I guess that when she said _I have an eye for this_ she meant that she realized that I never pulled my eyes away from Pinkie, but I was not willing to let them know that either. First, I had just met them, I had no reason to tell them, and second, even if I wanted to, the nerves would see to it that I kept my mouth shut. "No, I just met her, how could I?"

Rarity was skeptical, but the rest did not seem to be on her side in this. "I told you you were over the moon Rarity." Applejack said, a little angry. "I'm sorry we have to put you through this, but she really believes you like Pinkie Pie." Rarity replied. "I do not believe it, I'm absolutely sure of that."

"Girls ..."

"Leave him be, would you? She will never believe we are her friends if you push him around like this." Applejack looked very upset with Rarity. "I'm not overwhelming him..." But before she could finish, Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Of course not, you're just asking someone you've just met if he likes a girl he just met."

"Girls ..."

"Let's not get so passive-aggressive, Rainbow." Sunset Shimmer intervened in the girls' discussion. "I think we all owe Nacho an apology for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation." A little late for that red hair, uncomfortable is my middle name. Pink Uncomfortable Nacho. "I'll apologize when he admits he likes Pinkie Pie." Rarity was really unto me, but it does not take more neurons than teeth to suspect that I love Pinkie Pie. "Do you want him to run away? I'm not gonna be the one to tell Pinkie that we scared his new friend in 10 seconds flat."

"Girls!"

Everyone went silent. I had no idea that Fluttershy could scream, but this day has been full of surprises since I left that office. She approached me just like I approached her to greet her moments before. "I'm really sorry about all this and I do not want to insist, but Pinkie is very concerned about making us all very happy, and we really appreciate it." I sighed, for I immediately realized where the shots were going.

"You want someone to make her as happy as she makes you, right?" Fluttershy nodded. "And you want that someone to be me, right?" She nodded again. The other girls just watched, as if they totally trusted her. She stared at me and repeated the question that Rarity had asked at first. "It's fine if you do not want to answer, but do you like Pinkie Pie?"

After thinking about it for a moment, I gathered courage and finally answered. "No ..." The other four were very disappointed by my response. Except Rarity; she was still skeptical. "It's more than that, I ... I really am in love with her."

I could not help but sound corny, but I was not going to miss that opportunity either. Also, i immediately noticed the change in their expressions, so I had to follow that path.

"Everything about her seems wonderful to me." At this point I was talking to Fluttershy alone; her kindness made me feel comfortable for the first time in what I have been here. "Her sympathy, her endless joy, her hair, her smile, her eyes, her ability to talk and talk without stopping ..." Rainbow Dash could not help but laugh with that last part. "Really?" Applejack nudged him after she asked. Fluttershy, who apparently already heard what I wanted and wanted to keep it from going on, hugged me. "Thanks, Nacho."

They all came to hug me, and I could not help but weep a little, touched by the situation. "Alright Rarity, ya know ya wanna say it." Said Applejack, so we all laughed a little. "Please darling, we're all mature enough to I told you!" Between hugs and laughter I was beginning to feel more and more relieved and I felt I could talk a little more with all of them. "Well, it wasn't that hard either." Rarity laughed a little. "I think I deserve a little credit anyway."

"So..." I said after our group hug dissipated, trying to make heads and tails of this all. "We barely know each other and you want to help me so that Pinkie and I become... Boyfriends?" "Don't get excited, we're doing it for her." Rainbow Dash said, as she put her arm around my shoulders. "Of course we're going to help you, that's what we do with our friends here at CHS." I could not help but smile a lot. What Sunset Shimmer said when she greeted me was true, this group of girls really know how to make one feel at home.

Right at that, Pinkie entered the room with a chair that, I imagine, belonged in the cafeteria and the truth is that it did not look particularly comfortable. "You can not imagine what I had to go through to get this thing, but here it is. The most comfortable chair in the whole school for my good friend... "Before finishing, Sunset Shimmer interrupted her. "Pinkie, right on time, Nacho was telling us how much he wanted a tour of school." Pinkie Pie looked at the chair, then at the girls and finally left the chair next to the wall, looking a little defeated.

"Okay, let's give her a tour of the school, girls!" She said excitedly, but Rainbow Dash immediately stopped her.

"We would love to, but we have to... play a volleyball game right now. You'll have to go alone." Pinkie Pie, confused, asked.

"All five of you? But five isn't even an even number." It seemed that Rainbow did not know what to say anymore, so Applejack intervened. "Yes, Fluttershy is going to be the referee. She has been practicing a lot. "

"Ah well, we can still wait for 'em, right Nacho? A volleyball match can't last forever." Pinkie Pie did not lose hope. I also love that about her.

"Did I say volleyball? I meant beach volleyball, and at CHS we do not have a beach so we clearly can't play here." Rainbow Dash was throwing out excuses from under her sleeve like a real pro. "Actually, we're going to change our clothes right here so I'm going to ask you both to leave, thank you very much." Rarity said pushing Pinkie and me out of the room. Just before leaving, I turned around a little and whispered to the girls. "Thank you."

 **Chapter 2, The boy and the girl with a dream**

"Did you say something, Nacho?" Pinkie asked after we got kicked out of the music room. Assuming she must have heard me thank the girls for all that, I said no. "Oh, how odd. I mean it's really weird because I could swear i heard something, not because you do not talk much." I laughed a little and thought of something to say to start a conversation, but as usual, she got ahead of me.

"So, where do we start our magical mystery tour? How about ...?" But, to her utter surprise, this time I decided to interrupt her, hoping to get rid of this i speak very little stigma i've earned. "How about we return that chair you brought me?" I said, pointing to the chair she managed to retrieve before Rarity ran us out. "Oh, I see, you want us to go to the other side of the school to take a walk around the whole place, well thought." Yes, well thought, because I did not point to the chair because it was the first thing I saw. Totally. Although that means spending more time with her, so most likely it was something unconscious. "Very well, start moving those legs Nacho, CHS is not a school famous for being small." I do not know what took hold of me, but suddenly I could talk with her, as if i didn't feel nervous, anxious or any of the things that I usually feel when talking to people.

"Well, the school I came from wasn't a small place either," I said almost without realizing it, because, without wanting to see myself as the cool guy with a dark past, I didn't want to answer the question that was coming. "You never told me what school you transferred from. There are many other things that you haven't told me either, but you could start with that." She asked as we started walking through the corridors of Canterlot High.

"Well, you never asked. It's not something I can just say out loud, if you know what I mean." Pinkie looked at me a little confused. "No, I have no idea." "It's just that I come from ..." Before it was over, Pinkie Pie gave a tremendous cry of surprise. "Do you come from Crymph ... !?" I covered her mouth immediately, because with her shout everyone in the hall was watching us. Whispering and still covering her mouth, I said. "Yes, I come from Crystal Prep. Could you not tell anyone?" "Mmphmp ..." She answered while i was still covering her mouth, so I took my hand off as i apologized and she asked me again. "Why? There's nothing wrong with that." "It's just that, you know, with the Friendship Games that are coming this year and all our rivalry..." She smiled a little and tried to calm me down. "Oh, please, I'm sure the girls will not mind if you come from the school that always crushes us in the games." She put a hand on my shoulder, I blushed immediately, and still smiling she said: "But If you don't want me to spill the beans, I totally won't. It's a Pinkie Promise." i went from super flushed to super confused. "Pinkie Promise?" But as if ignoring my question, she recited a little oath. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." And then, from super confused to super touched.

We continued walking down the corridor and among her tourist ads she asked me another question. "Leaving aside that you come from you-know-where, what else could you tell me about you?" Switching school means many things, like nobody knows who you are. You can be whoever you want, and even like that it didn't cross my mind the idea of lying or making up anything. Not to her.

"Well, I don't know, can't think of anything." "Oh, come on, anything." She stopped for a moment, and with eyes full of brightness, she asked me. "Do you have any dreams?"

"Dreams?" I asked as if I had hearing problems. Which I have, to some degree, but it wasn't the case. "Sure, something you've always wanted to do with your whole heart and soul." Besides marrying you, of course I have dreams. It's just that I've never thought of 'em that way. "My dream... I always wanted to be a superhero. Like Billy." I didn't mean to say _like Billy_ out loud but, once again, this woman surprised me. "The Adventure Time Billy? Do you want to fight monsters and rescue princesses?" She really understood my reference, but Billy's description was not like the kind of hero I was thinking about. "More or less. Maybe not like Billy, but I want to help people. And having super powers, that's great too. But mostly helping people." Her eyes filled were with brightness, she seemed to like my dream. "That sounds so super cool! I'm sure you can be a superhero someday." Now my eyes were filled with glitter. Not only she did not think my dream was ridiculous or childish, but I also fully supported it. And if she thinks I can be a superhero, what else could I ask for? "What about you Pinkie? What is your dream?" I was really talking to her. No stuttering or babbling like a caveman; real phrases with meaning and everything.

"My dream is to bring happiness to everyone in the world. When I can make someone smile it makes my full life worthwhile. Especially if they are my friends." That must be the most noble and beautiful thing I've heard in my life, and it's precisely what Fluttershy said about her. "Yeah, the girls told me 'bout that, how you try hard to make them very happy." I said smiling and very flushed, and she was also smiling a lot. "I really love them very much. And they also make me very happy back so, what more could I ask for? They really are everything to me." I kept listening to her; I was deeply touched by her words. The only thing that matters to her is that her friends are happy.

"Now that I think about it, our dreams are not so different." she said, perhaps waiting for me to speak again. "You dream of helping people and I make them happy. I suppose a superhero must do that, make people happy. Ooh, we could be superheroes together someday, don't you think it would be super fun? We could save the world with a big smile!" I met this this girl just an hour ago and about 7 pages and I'm not interested in anything else than making her happy. I feel like I could give up my life to see her smile. And I know that she feels the same for each of her friends, myself included. With all of this thinking about how much I love and admire her, I didn't realize that she was staring at me, waiting for me to answer her question. "Yes, I'd love to! Tho I don't know how, but I'd really love to." "We'll think on somethin, we just have to keep dreaming. Oh look, we already are at the cafeteria." Apparently, talking about of our dreams made the trip a lot quicker, but i was not ready to finish this tour. Not without doing that too. "Pinkie Pie..." I said in a much more severe tone than I intended to. "Wow, you sound super serious Nacho. Are you okay?" "Sorry, it's just that..." The nerves were killing me, but if I didn't do it now I would feel bad for the rest of my life. "I also want to make a Pinkie Promise. I promise you that one day we will be super heroes together and we will save the world with a big smile." I really felt it; i wasn't intending to sound cheesy or make her like me, I really wanted to make that promise. After all the faith she put in me, i had to do it. She looked at me with a huge smile.

"Repeat after my Nacho. Cross my heart..." "Cross my heart... " "And hope to fly..." "And hope to fly..." I remembered the last part, so we said it together "Stick a cupcake in my eye. I promise that one day we will be superheroes and we will save the world together with a big smile."

We looked at each other for a moment, and then we both laughed a lot. "By the way, I get super upset when someone breaks a Pinkie Promise. But something tells me that I can trust you." I just wanted to cry of sheer joy, but if I did I would have to explain many things to her. Like that I love her. A lot.

"I... I also have another dream Pinkie. I'll tell you some other day. "

 **Chapter 3, The one girl party**

"You know you have to tell her one day, do you?" It's been a month since I met them and they let me sit with them for lunch. It is the closest thing to sitting with the popular girls that I will experience in my life and definitely much more than what I can say about my time at Crystal Prep. "I know Rainbow, but it's not easy. What if...?" "There he goes..." I heard Applejack sigh before I started talking to them about my fully funded concerns. "... she just wants us to be friends? Or if she thinks I'm weird?" Rarity interrupted me before I went crazy. "I'm certain Pinkie does not think that about you, darling." "Not yet, but what if ...?" They all looked elsewhere, probably because they knew i would not stop. But before I could continue, I heard her coming.

"Can you believe that Granny Smith wouldn't let me take two desserts?" She looked quite upset, even though she did had the said two pastries in her tray. "Of course i believe it, you're not supposed to have two desserts, Pinkie Pie." Said Applejack, honest as always. Rarity was also surprised by Pinkie's audacity. "I cannot understand how you can eat so many desserts without getting fat." "Oh, the second one is not for me. It's for the birthday boy." She said giving me the second pastry, a party cap and throwing worrying amounts of confetti that fell on the rest of the girls' food. "You didn't tell us today's your birthday, Nacho." Said Sunset getting up to give me a hug and the respective congratulations.

"Actually, I didn't tell anyone. How...?" Rainbow Dash was going to say something, but I think she got stuck with a little confetti of what fell on her plate, so Fluttershy spoke instead. "Pinkie knows which day each one of us turns older." "Birthdays are the most important day for anyone Nacho." Pinkie said with eyes full of pride, about to stand on the table as if she was going give a speech. "That's why I try so hard to give every birthday-er a super special day." She did not stand on the table, who knows why, but she gave me a big hug. The best hug I have received in my life, nothing less. "Thanks a lot, Pinkie." "Don't thank me yet, big boy, I have a big party ready for you when classes are over." I know it's because I'm on birthday, but having things prepared for me with such affection made me too happy, almost to the point of forgetting my unfounded fears towards rejection. Almost.

Said and done, at the end of the classes she led me along with the girls to a Canterlot local which i had never been to, probably because I don't live near there. It's name was _Sugarcube_ _Corner_ , and Pinkie seemed to know the owners very well, as she greet them with such affection. To be fair, she does everything with affection, so it's not a good argument. In the course of last month, I often told myself how Pinkie never ceases to amaze me, and this time was no exception.

The place was decorated as one would expect from a birthday party, but she had booked it for us seven, so it everything there was for us, including the owners' attention. Going straight to the point, Pinkie Pie signaled to the shop assistants and they turned off the lights and brought a cake with the exact number of candles. To my surprise, once again, it was my favorite cake flavor. Even i don't know which is my favorite and even so she managed to put an end to the eternal struggle.

"This is ..." I said after blowing the candles, trying to hold back the tears of emotion. I failed, by the way. "It's the best birthday I've had in my life. It's really wonderful." "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that." She said hugging me once more with eyes a little less tearful than mine.

The glasses of _milkshakes_ came and went, as well as the laughs and my favorite songs of Shakira, another little detail of my beloved friend. I have no idea how Pinkie found out so much about me as to make me the perfect party, but who cares? I appreciate every detail that was included because I know that she tried hard to make sure all this went well. And boy it went amazing.

One after the other, the girls went to their respective homes until we were alone, as much for my fortune as for my sweaty anxiety, she and I. Although we have already built a great friendship together, it is still a bit strange and at the same time great to be alone with her; normally we are accompanied by at least one of the girls. But for the first time since that tour she gave me when I arrived at CHS, we were both alone. "I still can't believe you did all this for my Pinkie. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you." "Friends aren't deserved or won, Nacho." She said in a somewhat serious tone, as if i had offended her. "But if you want to put it like that, you've also been a great friend." "I didn't make you a birthday party like this." I said thinking that I'm a regular friend; she's the great friend. "No, but you're a great friend in your own way. Also, my birthday is in a month, so you haven't had the opportunity to do it anyway." "An exact month? What a pretty coincidence."

In that moment I decided. I would give her a party as great as the one she gave me, clearly within what's possible for me. I want to be the one to surprise her, at least once. "Although the prettiest coincidence was to find you as soon as I got to CHS." It was like telling her that I love her without really telling her, so it felt very good. What came next, not at all. "Oh, thanks, Nacho. By the way, why did you change schools? I think you never... Are you okay?" She asked me because she noticed immediately how my smile turned around. Although I always think about that, especially on a day like today, talking to someone about it is much more complicated. Why did I transfer to another school? I couldn't just not answer her, her smile faded as fast as mine. That's how, for the first time, I told someone how my parents died.

For the first time, too, Pinkie was like a grave. I had never seen her quiet; she didn't say a single word while I told her about the accident. That night before Christmas, the last one we had as a family, they said goodbye to me before going to the airport. My father traveled a lot because of his work and this time he decided to take my mother with him. But they never got there and they never came back. "Are you crying?" I didn't want to interrupt my own narrative, but it was the first time I saw her with any emotion close to sadness. She hugged me very tight and between tears said. "I'm so super sorry, Nacho. I didn't want you to have to remember all that." "No, don't worry, Pinkie." I told her also crying a little.

They say the tragedy is worse when you can't do nothing about it, but this birthday, the girls and her saying that I'm a great friend made me see things differently. I could do something about it. I would take this curse and turn it into strength, starting with you Pinkie dear. "If it wasn't for that, I would have never met you." She looked at me quietly, still crying, but beginning to smile. "Also, super heroes often have backstories like that."

There were still tears on her cheeks, but she started to laugh a little. She blew the snot with a napkin and was again the smiling woman I fell in love with. "You taught me to laugh at my problems Pinkie. Thank you very much. For everything. I mean it" I said hugging her and wiping her tears. After the hug, she offered me a napkin too. "It seems that I also taught you to talk a little. Look at you, you haven't let me say anything at all this time "We both laughed, while Mr. and Ms. Cake, the owners of the place, were giving us the _please get out, we want to close_ stares.

After thousands of thankings and saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pinkie and I were outside _Sugarcube Corner_ , ready to part home. "Thank you very much for everything again, Pinkie." I said, but she looked worried. "Are you going to your house now?" "Yes, it's already quite late and..." But before i was done, she interrupted me with another question that made me as nervous as I was blushing. "Do you want to go to sleep at my house?" Pinkie stopped for a while and realized how bad it sounded, considering that we met just a month ago. "I just don't want you to spend this special night alone, that's all." She laughed nervously, almost as much as I did. Almost.

"Pinkie Pie, please, I can't, couldn't and wouldn't keep abusing your hospitality and kindness." The truth is that I was dying to say yes, but I preferred not to sound like a pervert. Besides, she had been too kind all day, having to go to sleep at her home would be too much. "You're not abusing, you know I'm like that . Are you really sure?" Of course I'm not sure, especially if you insist with those beautiful eyes that can see my soul.

"I've spent every night only since the beginning of the year, Pinkie, one more won't hurt me." Only then i took the full weight of that fact. Pinkie was very good at making me realize things. All kind of things. In this case, I realized that I had been alone in my house for so long that I had forgotten how good it is to live with someone, so I decided to accept Pinkie's invitation. "But I warn you, i take a long time in the shower." She probably did not listen to me, because she looked very happy when I told her I would go with her.

So we walked a few minutes to get to her house, talking about my reasons for transferring to CHS. I told her my parents died, but i never told her what it had to do that with me changing schools. I didn't feel bad talking about them with her. I don't feel bad about nothing when she's there. "So you couldn't pay your stay at Crystal Prep. and that's why you came to CHS." "Yes, basically. I still do not receive the entire inheritance money." And Crystal is not exactly the most economical school in the city. Now, why was it that I chose CHS from all the options? If I had to pinpoint out a particular reason, maybe it was because I heard about this school because of a friend's obsession with some strange events that took place there. Now that I think about it, I could ask Pinkie if she knows anything about that one of these days.

Pinkie opened the door and let me in first; I immediately analyzed the sofas, because I assumed that I would sleep there. It was a nice and cozy home, very different from what I expected from Pinkie. As I was surprised that no one answered when Pinkie announced her arrival, I asked her who she was living with here. "I live with my older sister, Maud." Of course, but I'm the one who lives alone. Just after mentioning it, she appeared. I think it was her; after all, it was the least Pinkie Pie woman I've ever seen. Not that I'm an expert on Pinkie Pies, but she was ... well, she was not Pinkie, for starters.

"Hello Maud! He's Nacho, today's his b-day, and since he lives alone, I thought he might sleep over here, isn't that great?" Pinkie looked euphoric, as if she was compensating for the lack of any emotion exuded by her sister. "Yes. Hi." I don't speak much, that's true; but Pinkie's sister was like two mes in that matter. Negative plus negative is more negative. I suppose that in the distribution of qualities in the Pie family, Pinkie took all the charisma, the speech and the extraordinarily beautiful smile that Maud did not get. "Did you see that, Nacho? Maud loves that you are here!" No, I did not see it, Pinkie, but if you say so, I guess I'll believe you .

"I'm going to assume you don't have men pajamas here." "Right, no pajamas for men here." She said smiling a lot, like everything she does. "No probs, i haven't worn a pajama in years anyways." "You sleep in...? Ew, i don't want to know." We both laughed and although I would have loved to continue talking, so much celebration had me exhausted. As I made my way to the couch, Pinkie once again surprised me. I should have a counter of times that does that. "I might not have pajamas for you, but I do have a bed over there." I was very excited, but she was playing with me. That's two surprises in one. She turned the sofa into a bed and brought me so many sheets, cushions and stuffed animals as she could find. "I should have an extra bed for these cases." "Don't worry Pinkie, this is perfect." I said very happy. "Good nights and thank you very much for everything, again." Going upstairs and before turning off the living room light, he said goodbye. "Good night, birthday boy."

 **Chapter 4, The boy and his decisions**

"I'd love to help you, but..." Fluttershy said, looking as nervous as ever. "... I do not think I'm the right one for that." "I know, that's why I wanted to ask you to distract her throughout the day." During the two months I've been with CHS, Fluttershy and I became very good friends. Mainly because of our social ineptitude, although she is much more shy than me. The point is that, because of such friendship we have, I entrusted that task to her while I took care of the other thing. "I guess I can do that." "Thank you so much Fluttershy, you're an angel."

"Here they are, my two favorite people in all CHS!" It was Pinkie, who had been coming from somewhere, probably the cafeteria. "Are we really your favorites?" Fluttershy asked, because with that comment i almost exploded of joy. But of course, i had to disguise it as a professional. Yes, that is exactly what I did. "Of course, along with the rest of the girls. You know that I love them all." My heart was going to explode if it continued like this, so I signaled Fluttershy to take action.

"Pinkie Pie, would you like to accompany me to the shelter today? There are some..." She could not finish her question when Pinkie responded, as always, full of enthusiasm. "I'd love to, Fluttershy! I want to adopt a crocodile! One without teeth, so it doesn't bite my stuffed animals. Do you want to join us Nacho?" I want to join you for the rest of my life Pinkie. But today I can't. "Of course I want to, but I have to... play a volleyball game right now." Fluttershy laughed a little. "And you don't have to be the referee, Fluttershy?" "No, they got a replacement with, ahem, a stronger voice." As you can imagine, they're excuses. Although I did play some volleyball in Crytsal , but nothing very professional. "Then good luck Nacho. Sweep the floor with your opponents! Unless it's beach volleyball, it would be super weird to sweep a beach." "I'll keep that in mind, Pinkie." I answered laughing, as the two retreated to the shelter where Fluttershy works as a volunteer.

I'm sure you must be wondering what this complicated plan is about. The truth is that it wouldn't be any fun to tell you now; that would ruin the surprise. In any case, once Pinkie Pie went to distraction town, I had the free way to prepare everything for tomorrow.

"Are you sure of this? You know Pinkie Pie is..." Rainbow was the first to doubt my plan, but she had a point. Pinkie is quite emotional, which could be a double-edged sword; But what kind of moron makes plans thinking they will fail? "I know Rainbow, but I'm asking you please." I would have gotten on my knees, but I think they got the message. "Have a little faith, darling." Thanks for everything, Rarity. "We promised to help him when we met him. It would not be polite to turn our backs now." In the end, they all accepted, but this was just the easy part of my elaborate plan.

"How do you think Nacho is doing?" I asked Fluttershy as we walked to the animal shelter. From how much we know each other, I don't know if Nacho was a volleyball master.

"I hope he's fine." That's Fluttershy, she speaks only what is fair, necessary and convenient . Like me! Except our definitions of just and necessary are very different.

In short, we arrived at the shelter and there were no signs of crocodiles in adoption, but going home without my lizard companion wasn't an option.

I was thinking of a pet that could make company for Maud and I know that a toothless alligator would have rocked a lot.

There were not many other volunteers, so Fluttershy asked me if I could stay to help her all day. "Of course I will, Fluttershy! Anything to see you say hey!"

I didn't realize that it had turned so late, surrounded by so many beautiful animals. Fluttershy and I said goodbye and each one went home; we didn't live near each other at all.

I couldn't get behind, I had to get to sleep early and call this day goodbye. When i arrive at the school tomorrow, everyone will greet me. It's your birthday, Pinkie Pie!

"Alright Nacho, today is your day. More like her day, but you understand me." I thought to myself, nervous as I never had been. And that's an awful lot. "Good morning Nacho!" There it was, the reason for my nerves and 90% of my emotions. She greeted me with a huge smile that lasted for a long time, as if she expected something. "Early as always, Pinkie. Good morning." She kept smiling, something quite normal in her, so I did not give it much importance.

We walked through the corridors of the school, straight to the first class of the day. It so happened that Pinkie and I had many classes together. Believe it or not, it is indeed a coincidence; I made my schedule before I met her. As always, Pinkie greeted every person she saw on her way to class and everyone greeted her back, nothing out of the ordinary.

However, Pinkie looked different. I'm sure there was something different about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It became a little more noticeable with each person who greeted, it seemed that something bothered her. Pinkie is not one of those who bother easy, so if there was something that had her that way it should be pretty serious. Or it could be my imagination. Either way, it went on like this for the whole school day.

I should have noticed it before, but when it happened it was too late. At the end of classes, we gathered near the exit with the girls, exchanged a couple of words and then each one said goodbye. "We'll see each other tomorrow." Something in those words changed Pinkie Pie, who looked very discouraged. The girls came out through the big entrance doors and we were alone Pinkie and I. Very alone in fact, the hallways and halls were empty. I couldn't feel a soul. "Are we leaving too, Pinkie ...?" I asked, but she looked away, and without a hint of her characteristic enthusiasm, she said "No, go. I'll go to the library for a while."

Really? Library? You? But she didn't give me time to ask her, she went very fast. Only then I realized what was bugging her; and that it was my fault. I ran to the library, but I didn't see anyone. I could only hear slight sobs, and I was afraid that they were the smile girl's. "Pinkie, are you there?" It felt weird to speak loudly in a library, truth be told. "Do you really care?" I finally found her; she was on the second floor, lying on a bed made of books. Must be quite uncomfortable, but i had no time to think about that. She looked devastated, not even her hair looked normal; it was deflated like her mood. "Why would you think ...?" But I could not finish when she got up and without looking at me she asked me. "Do you know what day is today?" "Sure, May 3, a day.." She interrupted me again, this time looking at me with eyes full of tears.

"It's my birthday, Nacho! And nobody at school remembered it! Neither girls, nor... you, my best friend" That _you_ came full of tears. It broke my heart to see her like this, especially knowing it was my fault. Rainbow Dash warned me. But it was not time to mourn; I had only one option left; I'd ruin the surprise if it meant making her happy. "I'm sorry Pinkie..." She did not look at me, as if she had not heard me. She kept crying facing the wall. "I wanted to surprise you, ok?" That did make her react a little. "You always do it, I wanted to do it for you, for once. I asked everyone at the school if they could not wish you happy birthday to give you a surprise party on the way out. Like the one you gave me on my birthday." She turned around, her eyes still tearing. "You did that for me?" "Sure, a girl once told me that birthdays..." Once again she interrupted me . "You talked to everyone at CHS for me?" I had not realized, until now, how much of an herculean task was for me to talk to hundreds of strangers. I guess, thinking about her, I was not afraid and I was able to put my social ineptitude aside. But that achievement, for me at least, did not compare to what I would do next. "Why?"

"Because i… it's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you." I saw it in her eyes. She knew exactly what i meant. "I love you. How could i not love someone who puts so much effort in making me so happy?" She looked me in the eyes, and taking my hands she told me. "I could say the same about you." Our eyes fixed on the other's and at last I was able to see her smile again. Who knows how many minutes we spent like this, but I remembered that the girls were still waiting for me to take Pinkie to her party, so i dried her tears and we headed to the main entrance of CHS. "By the way, Pinkie, could you act surprised when we go out that door?" She laughed a little and taking my hand, she looked at me and said. "I would do anything for love, Nacho. And that is a fact."

"Surprise! Happy birthday!" Virtually the entire school was meeting on the front of CHS, wishing Pinkie a lot of happiness on her big day. But the surprise was for them, as the girls were open-mouthed at the sight of Pinkie and me holding hands and came running to hug us. "Pinkie Pie and you... are... oh, I think i'm fainting." Rarity said just before fainting a little. "Not yet, actually." I said looking at Pinkie, ready to ask the question that i always (since two months ago) dreamed to ask. "Pinkie Pie, you make me want to be a better person. Do you ...?" But she interrupted me just before my own nerves interrupted me. "It's not fair, I want to ask you the same thing. Do you want us to do it at the same time?" "I'd love to." I could feel the girls trying to hold back their screaming with emotion, even Rarity, who had already recovered.

"One, two, three."

"Pinkie Pie, isn't it easier if we just say yes?"

"Nacho, wouldn't it be better if we both said yes?"

We both stared at each other and after a while we laughed a lot. We both agreed on this unspoken thingy, clearly, and we came to the most magical part of each love story: the first kiss. I will never forget it; it was as if for a few seconds nothing else would matter. Not the birthday, not the people around us. Only Pinkie and I existed. After it was over, Pinkie and I looked each other in the eye and she, a little annoyed, said. "I know I can do better." I couldn't understand what she meant before she took my face with both hands and kissed me once more, for much longer .

It may be difficult for someone who has always been in love with someone else to feel that this special person loves you as much as you love them. I mean, for me it is; from the moment I saw her I have cultivated this love to everything she does and i have discovered that there isn't even one thing that I don't love about her. But after seeing her so happy, she taking me by the hand, what she told me in the library and that she had to use that excuse to kiss me again, I know what she really loves me. A lot. But being honest, it is clear that I love her more.

The girls, after our love minute, came to hug us again and congratulate us, because Nacho and I are dating and for my birthday as a plus.

They brought a delicious cake and then sang me happy birthday, with so much emotion began to cry without holding even a bit. "Thank you very much, Nacho. For everything. I mean it."

"Wasn't that what I said when...?" Of course it is, I could never forget that score. I remember it because, being honest, it's clear that I love you much more.

"Did you make your wish, Pinkie?" Fluttershy was right, with so many emotions I almost forgot that part of this rite.

"Let's see, I already have you, Nacho... " I know, being super cheesy is part of me . "... so I wish I could revive David Bowie."

The girls were a little surprised while i blowed the candles. If someone told me they don't like Bowie, i'd make a huge scandal.

Sunset laughed a little. "You know that your wish won't come true if you say it out loud, right?" "Oh, major bummer in the summer." But, the truth is, it made me incredibly happy to be with all of them, feeling their beautiful friendship, so it didn't really matter.

"This is the best gift ever." Pinkie said, hugging the girls and me. "Actually, your real gift is out there, sweetie." I said pointing to the, modesty aside, huge box standing in the middle of the front of the school. "In case the other plan didn't work." We both laughed a little and then we walked holding hands to open her gift. I think I haven't let go of her hand since she took mine in the library.

"What could it be? What could it be?" Pinkie repeated super excited as she struggled against the wrapping, trying not to break it because she is a tremendous sweetheart. "It's... Nacho, what is it?" The truth is that I did not expect it to be a very intuitive gift, so I explained to her as much as the rest of the girls what it was about. "It's a party cannon, Pinkie. You can decorate a full room in seconds with this thing." Pinkie gave a slight cry of, what I'm saying, it was not slight at all; she gave a huge cry of surprise. "Oh, Nacho, it's incredible!" He gave me a big hug and a kiss as thanks, while the girls looked at the gift a little less confused. "Yeah it's incredible alright." Rainbow Dash said in a somewhat ironic tone and then Applejack asked. "Where in tarnation did you get this thing?" "Oh, I did not get it, I designed it myself. They don't let anyone stay in Crystal Prep just because they are able to pay for the stay, you know?"

I know Pinkie promised not to tell them, but the girls already knew that I came from the rival school. In the end, I told them myself. They are my best friends after all; I'd trust them with anything and, above all, I know they would accept me as I am. More important than that, Pinkie Pie was fascinated with her gift, the party and with us being boyfriends; knowing that I hit the nail made me feel a lot less nervous and very happy for the both of us.

And that's how a relationship based on references to anything and many cursilies began.

Chapter 5, The promises we made

"Do you really have to go, honey?" That beautiful smile could convince me of anything, but the decision was not mine. Whoever is responsible for the distribution of my parents' inheritance decided to meet me just for the Friendship Games and Pinkie was a little disappointed that we were not competing together. "I'm sorry, Pinkie, I have to do it. You know what the bureaucracy and that stuff are like." "No, actually, I have no idea." She said smiling as usual and didn't insist on that.

I didn't have to resort to the old excuse of beach volleyball with the girls; with lots of help from Pinkie Pie, I also told them about the death of my parents. "We're going to miss you, Nacho. With you here we would surely win the Games this year." "Please, you six are perfectly capable of beating Crystal's asses." Even though we, the Crystal Prepers, have beaten them in each of the previous games, I really trusted them. Games aside, it hurt to have to be away from Pinkie for a few days. Well, maybe hurt isn't the word, but you understand what I mean. The girls said goodbye with a big group hug and, after saying goodbye to my dearest girlfriend in a more personal way, I started my trip to a city south of Canterlot; a place that saw my parents born and raise.

As i travel, I suppose I can talk to you more about them. My mother, Bright Oath, was a street artist, quite famous in the city. They nicknamed him the Lady of the Assumption, because that was the name of the plaza where she performed. But where her nickname lacked in terms of creativity, she compensated with her talent to make his audience feel amazed in every act; or that's what she told me. After having me, she retired and stayed with all the extroversion, leaving me with my social ineptitude.

Brass Beard, my father, on the other hand, owned a multi-million dollar company and was the main reason I could enter Crystal Prep. Since he worked hard and a lot, I spent more time with my mother and I was never very interested in the company.

Now that I was going to inherit it, I had to face a difficult decision. Difficult because, first, I'm not a businessman and second, what was a young man like me supposed to do with a company of "Military technology?" I asked. "Yes, any problem Mr. Beard?" Well, I just described my problem, Mr. lawyer. And now we have two problems, Mr. Beard was my father. "No, it's just that I don't know if I can keep the family business." "Do not worry Mr. Beard." I have a name, thank you very much. "I'm sure you must have inherited your father's great business skills. And if not, you can always sell the company. The decision is yours." Being honest, the idea of selling the company did sound very tempting. And it's not that I'm a damn hippie, but military weaponry is not exactly my cup of tea.

"Can I sell it just like that?" I asked the lawyer, and he gave me an answer very similar to what he had just told me. "I would suggest talking with the other managers, but, as I said, the decision is yours." He continued talking about my total power over the company and actions and many who-knows-whats for a long time, but my mind was fixed on three other things. The first was, clearly, how much I missed Pinkie Pie. The other two formed the debate between selling the company or taking over my father's legacy. After meditating a minute, I agreed to consult him with the other directors, so I met with my new secretary, because, apparently, I also inherited her.

"Good afternoon Nach... excuse me, Mr. Pink, sir." I had vague memories of her, but I could remember her name and her, well, slight awkwardness. Not like I'm the best talking to people. "Vivian, so long. I'm your boss now?" Silly questions are one of my, say, super powers. "Yes sir. I'm very sorry for your father's death, sir." "Thank you Vivs. By the way, could you do me a favor?" I asked her to call the other directors, whatever that position might mean, and in a matter of minutes I was in a room with her and four other gentlemen who were already quite adults. She might not be the smartest secretary of them all, but she was quite diligent.

Vivs was with me because I could barely tie a tie and even less I could manage a meeting of this kind. Or of any kind, while we are at it. "Gentlemen..." I wanted to sound important, professional and serious, but I'm sure it didn't happen by any chance. "...I called you because I intend to close the company." Like when I met Pinkie, I was stuttering out of control and said the first thing that crossed my mind. The four gentlemen showed different degrees of surprise and negativity and took turns to tell me how much my father had achieved with the company, as if I didn't know it.

After so much discussion, an idea crossed my mind. What if it turned the company into something else? I didn't have to get rid of everything, only the parts that I did not like; almost everything, in other words. But what could it be? Have I ever dreamed of something that needed so much resources and money? Then I remembered it. The promise that Pinkie and I made and the dream of my whole life. Once again with the buts, how could I use my father's company to make us super heroes?

"Mr. Beard, are you still with us in this meeting?" I did not realize I was daydreaming with everyone there looking at me, so that man's voice made me land a little embarrassed. I think I've seen him before at some lunch that my father might have invited him to. "Excuse me, I have to meditate on this better." I said, retreating from the room. But before closing the door, I turned around and told the directors. "And stop calling me Mr. Beard."

"Do you really want to close the company, Mr. Pink?" Vivian looked a little worried, although she tried to show some support with an uncomfortable smile. "I don't know, Vivs. I don't want to leave you without a job, but I can't picture myself managing a company like this either." Vivs used to take care of me when, because of the fate, both of my parents were busy, so I was very fond of her. "Sir, don't worry about me, sir. I'm sure you'll make the right decision, sir. But if you need more time, I can arrange another meeting for you tomorrow and let you consult it with the pillow, sir." It's not that I care, but so much sir made me feel old. What I did care about was to not waste any more time on this, but I also didn't want to make a hasty decision, so I opted for what was healthy and took Vivs' advice. "Very well, sir, then I'll see you tomorrow, sir." Except that we would not see each other at the time we had planned.

When leaving the building, which was very close to the outskirts of the city, I was waiting for a car that would take me to a hotel where I would spend the night, since it had already become too late to return to Canterlot by bus. I called Pinkie to find out how she had been today and those things that couples do. The Games would not start until a few days, but I could not get there in time either to participate or to support the girls.

Minutes after our call, I felt a great noise. Then a big blow. Then a great pain and finally, a great silence.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie. It wasn't my intention…" But I woke up before I could finish that sentence in my head. I don't know how much time had passed or where I was, but everything was very dark and my chest hurt like shit. I could only make out the faint light of a lamp and the silhouette of a person. "Finally, you are awake. Do you feel good?" Of course I don't feel good, but I did not say it out loud; mainly because I am a tremendous tumor whenever I wake up.

"Where...?" I said, as I tried to get up, but immediately noticed that my movement was partially incapacitated by a pile of wires that connected my chest to something else. The silhouette approached me. "Do not move too much. I can not tell you where we are, but..." Before he could end, he was interrupted by the unintelligible cries of a group of men who screamed from behind a steel door. The person who accompanied me answered something in the same unintelligible language and explained the situation in which I was.

In very few words, I am a hostage of terrorists who know I am the son of Brass Beard, so they want me to make weapons for them. As if that were not enough, I'm connected to a car battery that powers a magnet that prevents a piece of metal from piercing my heart. And I thought that not being able to compete in the Friendship Games was bad. Silly me.

But seeing the positive side, as Pinkie taught me, it could be worse. I mean, if it was not for Shamdan, my new friend who connected me to this battery, I would be dead. That little ray of optimism aside, I didn't have much hope, but it seemed that Shamdan hadn't totally surrendered, so I decided to ask him what he was doing here. After all, he saved my life and I was getting pretty bored of looking at the ceiling.

"I used to be an inventor like your father, but I am too old for that now. I just want to see my wife and my daughter again." His eyes let out a tear as he got up to go find something much more amazing than everything that was going on. "We're going to get out of here, Pink." He said, showing me the blueprints of what looked like a mechanical suit. "What is it….? Wait, you want us to build this?" I may have designed the party cannon that I gave to Pinkie Pie, but that didn't come any close to what Shamdan was showing me. It was way beyond what I ever dreamed, but I didn't have a better idea either.

With my new battery by my side, my friend, lots of junk and the screams of the terrorists we, apparently, spent a full day of hard work, between the mechanical suit and the weapons that the captors were asking us. Finally, the armor was ready but there was only one problem. Truth be told, there were thousands of problems, but I'll refer to the most important ones. We had no way or where to try it before jumping into action. As Shamdan was already old, I had to pilot it myself. Top of the list, the battery that was connected to my heart also powered the suit. Thinking only in Pinkie Pie to give me courage, I entered the mechanical suit and prepared for the worst.

Without giving much thought to many other things, I knocked on the door of our cell and sent it flying along with the guards who guarded it. I felt unstoppable, except that I was still connected to a battery. It is not easy to ignore the fact that I am so close to death. The guards sounded the alarm and started firing, but the suit resisted like a true champion while hitting them to keep moving forward. Behind me came Shamdan, covering himself from the bullets in my new body of steel. We made our way through several labyrinthine corridors and lots of terrorists, while I sweated from the effort and began to feel worse and worse.

After a while, I collapsed one last door and saw myself outside a cave in the middle of a desert, which I recognized, through the small holes in the hull that I used to see, that was a few hours away from the head office of my father's company. You can't try military technology in urban areas, after all. I looked back to tell my friend that we were almost safe, but I chose the worst moment. Everything happened in slow motion. I saw how they stabbed him from behind while I couldn't do anything from my position. I saw him collapse in front of me and in a fit of rage and impotence, I took the head of his murderer and stamped it against the nearest wall. At the time I didn't care if I killed him or not, I was worried about my friend. I made a huge effort to bend down and try to lift him off the ground, but the suit had too many limitations; I could not even close his eyes. However, he looked at me one last time and said. "Thank you. At last I can see my wife and my daughter. "

Understanding that he had already passed away, I continued with his plan and activated the propulsion of the suit, which, as you know, we never had the opportunity to try. As expected, the suit went up in the air without control and I had a forced landing in the middle of nowhere. I was safe at last, but the price I paid was too high. However, seeing death so many times in so little time gave me a different perspective on things. I finally knew what to do with dad's company.

"Mr. Pink, sir, what happened? They told me you never got to the hotel, sir. Are you okay?" Vivian looked so worried that I had to tell her what had happened, but she didn't look very convinced. Only when I showed her the magnet that I have stuck in my chest did the poopies hit the fan and she became as pale as possible. "In fact, I think I need another battery, Vivs. Do you know if there is one out there?" But thinking about it, spending all my life connected to a battery did sound a bit too uncomfortable and Vivs also seemed to believe it, so she started giving me ideas. "Don't you think it's easier to use common batteries, sir? Or something more portable than that thing, sir?" "A common battery is not going to boost something like this, Vivs. I need something more... clean and renewable." I tried to sound like a social responsibility commercial, but it seems that my speech gave her an idea. She took me through the building to a room where a large reactor was located. "This is one of your father's biggest inventions, sir. Literally, sir. He found a way to generate energy in a clean and renewable way, just like you mentioned before, sir." "Thanks Vivs, but I don't see how..." But before I finished telling her that it was really big, my gray cells began to work "Vivs, cancel all my appointments; I have work to do." "You have no appointments today, sir. "

I spent long hours thinking and working, but in the end I found a way to bring the full capacity of the reactor to a super compact space, almost the size of the magnet in my chest. In fact, this new reactor happened to replace the battery and the magnet, occupying that space between my not so shredded pectorals. As I had wandered a few hours in the desert, it was still quite early, so I decided, for once, to be a productive person and started designing a new version of Shamdan's suit. A less clumsy one, above all things. This is what I meant when I said I knew what to do with the company. I could use the money and resources to be a superhero, like Batman or Scrooge McDuck.

Looking back, I realized that I inherited from my father the innovative capacity that always characterized the company, it's just that I wasn't ready to put my mind to the service of armament. But being honest, I was not going to make the suit fire flowers either; that wouldn't rock and as I said before, I'm not a damn hippie. Also, someone has to avenge Shamdan.

Said and done, I spent the rest of the day working, thinking, rehearsing and erring until I finally got to version 2.0 of the original suit. Only the most important detail remained. "What do you think Vivs? I say that gray isn't very inspiring." "Sir, if I may ask, sir, why does it have to be inspiring, sir?" "Well, because it's the suit of a superhero Vivs, it can't look ugly or sober." Rarity had possessed me a little in that prayer; I almost called Vivs darling. And since I was thinking about my friends, I had the idea to give the colors of Sunset Shimmer's hair to it, because no villain is going to be intimidated by a pink or rainbow suit and I think the red 'n' yellow combo looks pretty good.

As the number one version of the suit, I took it out for a walk without trying it before, but apparently it was not necessary. I flew to the terrorist camp in a few minutes and after greeting them, my super heroic action began. It didn't take me long to knock them down and destroy all their vehicles, heavy weapons and surveillance posts with a little bit of my own weaponry, lasers and all kinds of cool stuff. If my father's company was going to give me lemons, better to use them to make terrorist lemonade. A few minutes later, the police officers arrived, whom I myself had called to arrest them and, since I am still an amateur superhero, I did not notice that they would see me as a suspect as well, so I flew out of there in an instant. I hadn't given any thought to the most important part of any superhero either, but when I woke up the next day it had been too late for me.

"So, sir, have you decided what will you do with the company, Mr. Pink, sir? Or should I call you Mr. Iron Man, sir " "Iron Man? What are you...?" But before i finished she handed me a newspaper in which my suit appeared in the cover. The title said Who is behind Iron Man?, and that gave me mixed feelings. It was great to know that I have not been a superhero for a full day and I'm already on the covers, but on the other hand, it was terrible to think that I could not choose my own name. Name which, by the way, was totally wrong; the suit is not made of steel, it is an alloy of gold and titanium, for the love of God.

Already a superhero, I had to worry about two fundamental things. The first one, to communicate to the other managers that I will not sell the company, but instead that I was going to change the business to innovative technology, much like Pinkie's party cannon, which would be mass produced as the first of many similar products. The second, my secret identity, but the truth is that I was dying to tell my friends. After thanking Vivs for everything and saying goodbye, I used the suit to fly over to CHS, hoping to surprise Pinkie and the girls. But boy, the surprise was on the other side.

"Twili?"


End file.
